Rhuggenaath: “We must arrange payment for Dock employees now”

WILLEMSTAD - In an almost unanimously adopted a motion by 17 votes for and one against, the minister of Economic Development, who is also responsible for the Curaçao Dry Dock (CDM), has received the support from parliament in his intention to arrange short-term payment for the employees of the CDM.

The parliamentary meeting was requested to talk about Rhuggenaath’s promise when he took office that he would settle the issue quickly. The 350 employees who twenty years ago were laid off and then rehired as temporary workers have been fighting now for five years for their disbursement.

They won a lawsuit, but, until now, were only paid half of what they are supposed to receive.

The minister indicated at the beginning of his dissertation in parliament that he was already in an advanced stage with the settlement of the arrears. “Our starting point is that the workers have worked and therefore need to be paid,” said the Minister.

We must lead by example. If we don’t pay our employees, we then give a wrong signal to companies and investors that they don’t have to pay their employees. Our ambition is to walk the ethical path and to respect human rights.”

The government owes about 4 million guilders to these employees. The development bank Korpodeko will pay part of it and the Minister is still looking for other alternative financing. The Government’s Accountants Bureau is leading the process to ensure that everything goes according to the rules.